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Twitter deletes over 170,000 accounts tied to Chinese propaganda efforts
The Hill ^ | 06/11/20 06:30 PM EDT | Maggie Miller -

Posted on 06/11/2020 9:04:02 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Twitter announced Thursday that it had deleted more than 170,000 accounts tied to a Chinese state-linked operation that were spreading deceptive information around the COVID-19 virus, political dynamics in Hong Kong, and other issues.

Almost 25,000 of the accounts that were deleted formed what Twitter described as the “core network,” while around 150,000 accounts were amplifying messages from the core groups.

Twitter noted that the accounts taken down this week were tied to a Chinese state-backed operation last year that attempted to sow political discord in Hong Kong. Those accounts were also taken down.

According to an analysis of the accounts by the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO), many of the accounts shut down were tweeting about the COVID-19 pandemic, with activity around this issue beginning in late January and reaching its peak in late March.

The accounts primarily praised China’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. While most of the accounts had less than 10 followers and no bios, the SIO found that they had tweeted almost 350,000 times before being shut down.

Twitter on Thursday also shut down thousands of accounts tied to Russian and Turkish state-linked misinformation efforts.

The over 1,000 Russian accounts removed were tied to state-backed political propaganda within Russia, while the over 7,300 Turkish accounts removed were primarily spreading information favorable to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his political party

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: agitprop; chicoms; china; chinese; covid19; erdogan; hongkong; internet; prc; propaganda; russia; turkey; twitter

1 posted on 06/11/2020 9:04:02 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Credit where it’s due, I guess.


2 posted on 06/11/2020 9:07:22 PM PDT by GOP_Party_Animal
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To: GOP_Party_Animal

A drop in the bucket.


3 posted on 06/11/2020 9:09:43 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: BenLurkin

Did that include accounts linked to Antifa and Black Lives Matter?


4 posted on 06/11/2020 9:11:13 PM PDT by Fedora
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To: BenLurkin

I was getting a pro-China site popping up on FaceBook where I had no invitation or want of that. I declared them “offensive” for the reason of removal, not giving me the option of stating the truth of their being anti-American, pro-Communist propaganda I already get enough of from America’s own Democrat Party.


5 posted on 06/11/2020 9:33:30 PM PDT by MikelTackNailer (Fortunately despite aging I've been spared the ravages of maturity.)
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To: BenLurkin
Can we sanction China now for interfering in our elections? Oh wait, the Democratic Party is financed by the ChiComs so nevermind.
6 posted on 06/11/2020 9:34:02 PM PDT by wildcard_redneck ("Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither.")
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To: BenLurkin

More concerned about what Twitter is doing to influence the election.


7 posted on 06/11/2020 9:40:15 PM PDT by BookmanTheJanitor
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To: BenLurkin

... A good start!


8 posted on 06/11/2020 9:41:17 PM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts (M / F) : Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: BenLurkin

Misdirection. This establishes they are evenhanded. Guess who is next up for some attention? As in sometime around late September, early October... we are.


9 posted on 06/11/2020 9:47:13 PM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: BenLurkin

Let me guess, most of which were conservative voices..... /s


10 posted on 06/11/2020 9:51:21 PM PDT by cranked
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To: BenLurkin

Since The Hill supports driving Trump from office with fake Twitter accounts, I wonder if this is a pre-look at a purge of legitimate MAGA accounts on Twitter, all under the guise of playing “fair” and deleting accounts falsely termed ‘bots’. But then, the left has made me cynical. :/


11 posted on 06/11/2020 9:55:37 PM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: BenLurkin

Did they delete the account of WHO?


12 posted on 06/11/2020 10:32:03 PM PDT by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: GOP_Party_Animal

Knowing Twitter, they probably shut down some key pro-HongKong zccounts, too.


13 posted on 06/12/2020 1:47:35 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
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To: GOP_Party_Animal

What about the hundreds of thousands of pro-Duterte fake accounts, also on Twitter, also from Communist Chinese, interfering in Filipino politics? All in favor of an anti-terror bill, er permanent martial law? Get jailed and killed for criticizing the Government...


14 posted on 06/12/2020 4:24:46 AM PDT by Starcitizen (Communist China needs to be treated like the pariah country it is. Send it back to 1971)
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To: BenLurkin

When as Americans do we delete twitter, Facebook, Google and others form our lives? when?


15 posted on 06/12/2020 5:06:19 AM PDT by ronnie raygun (silence is golden, I will not kneel)
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